Design and rapid prototyping of printed graphene electrochemical biosensors for sensitive monitoring of pesticide levels for agricultural use

While the use of pesticides (herbicides and insecticides) are critically important to meet the current and future food demands (increases crop yield by up to 40%), their overuse has shown long-term detrimental impacts on the environment from polluting watersheds used for drinking water to eutrophic “dead zones”. Current pesticide soil measurement methods (chromatography) are costly, require trained technicians, and take days to analyze; thus, farmers are taking an “over-application approach” which is pollution the environment and waterways. A disposable pesticide soil sensor would provide farmers the opportunity of precisely regulating the application of pesticides in an independent and economical fashion. Electrochemical biosensors provide the unique ability to quickly detect analytes with low-cost sensors; however, the detection limit and sensitivity of these biosensors are inadequate for current applications. This dissertation addresses this issue with the following focus in mind: 1) Increasing the enzymatic efficiency of organophosphate hydrolase by strategically functionalizing to nanomaterials [e.g., 17-fold increase in Vmax when functionalized to gold nanoparticles vs free enzyme]. 2) Develop a low-cost, rapid, and high-resolution manufacturing method to pattern solution-phase graphene [i.e., inkjet maskless lithography (IML), line resolution ~20 µm, sheet resistance ~ 0.7 kΩ/sq]. 3) Enhance the electroactive surface area by nano/microstructuring the graphene surface [3D petal-like graphene morphology] using laser annealing. 4) Increase the electrochemical surface area by incorporating macro and micro pores [2.2x with the inclusion of macropores] in the graphene surface. This work demonstrates the manufacturing of simple, low-cost electrochemical biosensors which suitable for rapid in-field detection of organophosphates. The fabricated graphene biosensors demonstrate high sensitivity, high linear sensing range, and ultra-low detection limits. Additionally, while this work is tailored towards a disposable pesticide sensor, the manufacturing techniques, sensor designs, and biosensor principle are a platform technology that could be amenable to other applications such as healthcare screening, drinking water monitoring, and even bioterror agent detection

Applications of Graphene Quantum Dots in Biomedical Sensors

Due to the proliferative cancer rates, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, autoimmune diseases and a plethora of infections across the globe, it is essential to introduce strategies that can rapidly and specifically detect the ultralow concentrations of relevant biomarkers, pathogens, toxins and pharmaceuticals in biological matrices. Considering these pathophysiologies, various research works have become necessary to fabricate biosensors for their early diagnosis and treatment, using nanomaterials like quantum dots (QDs). These nanomaterials effectively ameliorate the sensor performance with respect to their reproducibility, selectivity as well as sensitivity. In particular, graphene quantum dots (GQDs), which are ideally graphene fragments of nanometer size, constitute discrete features such as acting as attractive fluorophores and excellent electro-catalysts owing to their photo-stability, water-solubility, biocompatibility, non-toxicity and lucrativeness that make them favorable candidates for a wide range of novel biomedical applications. Herein, we reviewed about 300 biomedical studies reported over the last five years which entail the state of art as well as some pioneering ideas with respect to the prominent role of GQDs, especially in the development of optical, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical biosensors. Additionally, we outline the ideal properties of GQDs, their eclectic methods of synthesis, and the general principle behind several biosensing techniques.DFG, 428780268, Biomimetische Rezeptoren auf NanoMIP-Basis zur Virenerkennung und -entfernung mittels integrierter Ansätz

“Nano”: an emerging avenue in electrochemical detection of neurotransmitters

The growing importance of nanomaterials toward the detection of neurotransmitter molecules has been chronicled in this review. Neurotransmitters (NTs) are chemicals that serve as messengers in synaptic transmission and are key players in brain functions. Abnormal levels of NTs are associated with numerous psychotic and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, their sensitive and robust detection is of great significance in clinical diagnostics. For more than three decades, electrochemical sensors have made a mark toward clinical detection of NTs. The superiority of these electrochemical sensors lies in their ability to enable sensitive, simple, rapid, and selective determination of analyte molecules while remaining relatively inexpensive. Additionally, these sensors are capable of being integrated in robust, portable, and miniaturized devices to establish point-of-care diagnostic platforms. Nanomaterials have emerged as promising materials with significant implications for electrochemical sensing due to their inherent capability to achieve high surface coverage, superior sensitivity, and rapid response in addition to simple device architecture and miniaturization. Considering the enormous significance of the levels of NTs in biological systems and the advances in sensing ushered in with the integration of nanotechnology in electrochemistry, the analysis of NTs by employing nanomaterials as interface materials in various matrices has emerged as an active area of research. This review explores the advancements made in the field of electrochemical sensors for the sensitive and selective determination of NTs which have been described in the past two decades with a distinctive focus on extremely innovative attribut,es introduced by nanotechnology

A review of nanocomposite-modified electrochemical sensors for water quality monitoring

Electrochemical sensors play a significant role in detecting chemical ions, molecules, and pathogens in water and other applications. These sensors are sensitive, portable, fast, inexpensive, and suitable for online and in-situ measurements compared to other methods. They can provide the detection for any compound that can undergo certain transformations within a potential window. It enables applications in multiple ion detection, mainly since these sensors are primarily non-specific. In this paper, we provide a survey of electrochemical sensors for the detection of water contaminants, i.e., pesticides, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorus, water hardeners, disinfectant, and other emergent contaminants (phenol, estrogen, gallic acid etc.). We focus on the influence of surface modification of the working electrodes by carbon nanomaterials, metallic nanostructures, imprinted polymers and evaluate the corresponding sensing performance. Especially for pesticides, which are challenging and need special care, we highlight biosensors, such as enzymatic sensors, immunobiosensor, aptasensors, and biomimetic sensors. We discuss the sensors’ overall performance, especially concerning real-sample performance and the capability for actual field application

Recent Trends in Monitoring of European Water Framework Directive Priority Substances Using Micro-Sensors: A 2007–2009 Review

This review discusses from a critical perspective the development of new sensors for the measurement of priority pollutants targeted in the E.U. Water Framework Directive. Significant advances are reported in the paper and their advantages and limitations are also discussed. Future perspectives in this area are also pointed out in the conclusions. This review covers publications appeared since December 2006 (the publication date of the Swift report). Among priority substances, sensors for monitoring the four WFD metals represent 81% of published papers. None of analyzed publications present a micro-sensor totally validated in laboratory, ready for tests under real conditions in the field. The researches are mainly focused on the sensing part of the micro-sensors. Nevertheless, the main factor limiting micro-sensor applications in the environment is the ruggedness of the receptor towards environmental conditions. This point constitutes the first technological obstacle to be overcome for any long-term field tests

Graphene Oxide-Based Nanohybrids as Pesticide Biosensors: Latest Developments

Graphene is the most significant two-dimensional nanomaterial with sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in a honeycomb arrangement with an extremely high surface area, excellent electrical properties, high mechanical strength, and advantageous optical properties and is relatively easy to functionalize and mass produce. Various inorganic nanoparticles incorporated with graphene, such as gold, silver, and palladium nanoparticles are brought into sharp focus due to their catalytic, optical, electronic, and quantized charging/discharging properties. Graphene oxide-based nanohybrids are particularly well suited for biosensing applications and catalysis. Consequently, this area of research has grown to represent one of the largest classes within the scope of materials science and is rapidly becoming a key area in nanoscience and nanotechnology offering significant potential in the development of advanced materials in multiple and diverse applications. Here in this present chapter, synthesis, characterization of graphene oxide, and their nanohybrids are discussed thoroughly with their application in the field of pesticide biosensors. This chapter will help in a further understanding of graphene-based nanohybrids as a biosensing platform for their future applications in a sustainable environment

Enzymatic Electrochemical Biosensors for Neurotransmitters Detection: Recent Achievements and Trends

Neurotransmitters (NTs) play a crucial role in regulating the behavioral and physiological functions of the nervous system. Imbalances in the concentrations of NT have been directly linked to various neurological diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Alzheimer’s disease), in addition to multiple psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, dementia, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Hence, the rapid and real-time monitoring of the NTs is of utmost importance in comprehending neurological functions and identifying disorders. Among different sensing techniques, electrochemical biosensors have garnered significant interest due to their ability to deliver fast results, compatibility for miniaturization and portability, high sensitivity, and good controllability. Furthermore, the utilization of enzymes as recognition elements in biosensing design has garnered renewed attention due to their unique advantages of catalytic biorecognition coupled with simultaneous signal amplification. This review paper primarily focuses on covering the recent advances in enzymatic electrochemical biosensors for the detection of NTs, encompassing the importance of electrochemical sensors, electrode materials, and electroanalytical techniques. Moreover, we shed light on the applications of enzyme-based biosensors for NTs detection in complex matrices and in vivo monitoring. Despite the numerous advantages of enzymatic biosensors, there are still challenges that need to be addressed, which are thoroughly discussed in this paper. Finally, this review also presents an outlook on future perspectives and opportunities for the development of enzyme-based electrochemical biosensors for NTs detection